An inevitable trend

After many years of building and developing their businesses, recently, the Trade Union of the Điện Biên High-tech Brick Manufacturing Company officially launched its grassroots union. The company’s Trade Union was formed with 22 members, and the temporary Executive Board consists of 3 individuals.

Triệu Thị Hạnh, the temporary chairwoman of the Trade Union, said: “We realize that the establishment of the Trade Union is an inevitable requirement for the sustainable development of the company in the current period, as well as meeting the aspirations of the company’s employees. Since its establishment, the temporary Executive Board has promoted the spirit of unity, closely aligned with the local socio-economic development goals and the company’s mission, while strictly following the resolutions of the higher-level Trade Union and closely coordinating with the Board of Directors to encourage staff to effectively implement the targets and tasks of both the Trade Union and the company.”

Founded in 2022, the Tênh Phông Agricultural, Forestry, and Services Cooperative in Tuần Giáo district has 15 members who are local agricultural producers. After two years of operation, the cooperative’s members are committed to long-term development. In 2024, under the guidance of the district’s Labor Federation, the cooperative registered and completed the paperwork to establish its own Trade Union.

Lầu A Thu, the chairperson of the Tênh Phông Cooperative’s Trade Union, said: “Initially, when we were encouraged to establish a union, the cooperative members didn’t fully understand the purpose and meaning of the organization, so they were hesitant. However, after being educated and explained, all members agreed. Fifteen staff and workers voluntarily signed up to join the union.”

Since its establishment, the union has played an active role in organizing activities, motivating members, ensuring their rights, and supporting their development. The cooperative members are now motivated and have committed to long-term growth. With this orientation, the cooperative hopes to further develop other social organizations and establish a foundation for party member development.

“Before, even though we all participated in the cooperative, there wasn’t much connection. Since the union was established, the members exchange and support each other more. Whenever someone is sick, or there is a family issue, the union arranges for someone to visit, comfort, and provide assistance. This season, when the members’ families are harvesting melons, the union has assigned people in shifts to assist with harvesting and transportation, making the work much easier,” said Vàng A Di, a member of the cooperative.

Need for stronger development

Alongside the development of private enterprises and economic models, the local authorities in Điện Biên have made significant efforts to establish party organizations and mass organizations in businesses of all economic sectors. The leadership has been systematically implemented from the provincial level to grassroots levels.

Party committees have established steering committees and task groups, developed working regulations, and assigned specific responsibilities to each member. Annual programs, plans, and directives are created, and regular surveys, inspections, and evaluations are conducted to assess and improve the implementation of these activities. There has been a close connection between enterprises and party committees, local authorities, and political-social organizations in promoting and implementing directives.

The information dissemination and mobilization of the purpose and significance of establishing party and mass organizations in enterprises have been actively carried out, resulting in a strong shift in the perception of business owners. Particularly, regular meetings and dialogues between provincial leaders, the provincial People’s Committee, and enterprises, workers, and laborers have been held. These efforts have fostered a closer relationship between the authorities and businesses and have promptly addressed difficulties and challenges faced by enterprises and workers.

From 2018 to 2023, Điện Biên established 7 new trade unions in the non-state-owned business sector, with 764 union members. The province now has 51 grassroots trade unions, with 3,039 members across various enterprises and cooperatives. Additionally, 40 party organizations exist in private enterprises (an increase of 25 organizations since 2020).

It has been proven that wherever party organizations and mass organizations exist in enterprises, labor disputes are either non-existent or minimal. These organizations contribute significantly to the development of businesses and protect the legal rights and interests of workers.

However, statistics show that the proportion of enterprises with political-social organizations that meet actual needs is still very low compared to the total number of businesses in the province (1,300 businesses). Currently, many business owners still do not fully understand the role and importance of party and mass organizations in their enterprises, and thus, they are not supportive of their establishment. A portion of workers and employees are also not eager to join the party or participate in these organizations. The role of party and mass organizations within enterprises remains unclear, with limited activity and challenges in monitoring the implementation of the Party’s guidelines and the company’s operational regulations. This situation requires solutions and better coordination to create favorable conditions and environments for the establishment and operation of political-social organizations, thereby promoting sustainable business development.